The second meeting between farmer leaders and the state administration was productive, so the farmers’ “Long March” that started in Maharashtra’s Nasik district will wait near Vasind town on the outskirts of Mumbai. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called agricultural leaders to a meeting on Thursday to discuss their different requests. The deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the minister of agriculture Abdul Sattar, and representatives from the relevant ministries were also present in addition to the chief minister.
The Long March will remain outside of Mumbai till March 20 since, according to farmer leaders, the state government has granted all of their requests.
The state administration was asked to agree to 17 requests made by the protesting farmers, including fair pricing for milk, onions, cotton, soybeans, tur, and other crops. They have also called for adjustments to the export policy for onions as well as a tariff of Rs 2,000 per quintal for onions and an urgent subsidy of Rs 600 per quintal.
Jiva Gavit, a prominent farmer and former MLA, told the press, “The administration has acceded to our requests. We have given them four days to issue the instructions and ensure that they are effectively implemented at the taluka level. Our Long March will remain there till then in Vasind, a suburb of Mumbai. Only once the implementation gets underway in a timely manner will we call off our march and get back to our communities. Otherwise, we shall carry with our Long March till we reach Mumbai.
The state administration did go through all of the farmers’ requests in detail during the three-hour meeting. The ownership of lands by tribal farmers, the availability of 12 hours of power for farmers, and the encroachments on tribal farming were also extensively discussed. The group of farmer representatives received assurances from CM Shinde that this administration is on their side. We had a productive and encouraging conversation with the group of protesting farmers today. We stand for the state’s farmers. I’ll make a statement on the House floor on this matter. I’ve also asked them to call off their protest and march, he said.
In the previous seven years, farmers have staged three such Long Marches to protest their diverse demands. This protest march has gathered over 10,000 farmers from various parts of Maharashtra.
In addition to these, they want the government to compensate farmers for losses caused by unseasonal rains and other natural disasters, to waive outstanding electricity bills and provide power 24 hours a day, to increase the PM Housing Scheme subsidy from Rs 1.40 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, to conduct a new survey and add applicants’ names to the “D” list, and to pay compensation in cases where necessary land is required.
